When you hear “business software” or “reporting” You might imagine binders stuffed with charts, spreadsheets, and footnotes. There are conference rooms that are filled with executives who are slogging through slide presentations. What’s missing in these images is the potential for creating value for businesses.

This is changing because of a few digital technologies that are shaping the future of reporting. Machine learning and cognitive tools will be able to take over a lot of the repetitive work involved in gathering data, making reports, and then disseminating them. Human workers are free to do more interesting tasks.

Utilization-based pricing is another method to assist teams to benefit from the benefits of M&A transactions current data faster and more efficiently. By decreasing the cost of accessing data the model makes it easier for businesses to connect value with expenditure, enabling them to quickly ramp up usage and scale their efforts.

Software companies must reconsider their principles for building, distributing, and charging for their products if it is their intention to succeed in the Age of Connected Work. The winners in this new age will evolve what it means to be a product-driven company in the truest sense of the word They’ll utilize their products as engines to help customers acquire retention, expansion, and acquisition. This will require a new strategic approach and a determination to expand “as-a service” offerings beyond the fees for membership. It will also necessitate incorporating PLG principles into the way they design, build and deliver their products. To stay ahead, companies will need to create an entire technology ecosystem that has the design, stewardship, and governance needed to make data an asset.